Recovery mechanisms of sericite in microcrystalline graphite flotation

Sericite is the main contaminant of concentrate in commercial microcrystalline graphite ore flotation. It was necessary to identify its recovery mechanisms so that the appropriate solution can be selected. In this study, the influence of sericite on flotation selectivity of microcrystalline graphite ore and its recovery mechanisms were investigated. Artificial mixtures flotation test suggested that sericite seriously reported into concentrate leading to poor flotation selectivity of microcrystalline graphite ore. However, the aggregation/dispersion behavior of artificial mixtures indicated that a large repulsive energy existed between sericite and microcrystalline graphite particles at pH 7.4, and sericite was not likely to report into graphite concentrate by slime coating. The results obtained from contact angle measurements and a technique of Warren showed that the floated sericite reached the froth via a combination of both entrainment and entrapment mechanisms, not via true flotation.